Lambo Aventador J is King

Everyone knows Rome wasn't built in a day, but did you know the Aventador J - Lamborghini's outrageous speedster that brought Geneva to its collective knees last week - was cooked up in just six weeks?

After scooping our mandibles from the floor after Lambo whipped the covers off the roofless, screenless J, Top Gear secured an exclusive interview with designer Filippo Perini for the full story behind the lowest Lambo in history. It's fair to say he looked a little rushed. This is why...

Though the Aventador J was widely reported to have been commissioned by a well-heeled customer, Perini reveals it was devised entirely in-house by the Lamborghini team after CEO Stephan Winkelmann asked them to come up with ‘something special' for the Geneva show. As is traditional at Lamborghini, this required some fairly rapid forward progress.

Gallery: the Lamborghini Aventador J

"It was the 14th of January that Mr Winkelmann asked us to do something for Geneva," says Perini. "A blank sheet. Do what you want. I drew up this car in a weekend..."

So that's just a month and a half to bring a car from drawing board to reality: most companies would take that long to decide on the level of damping on the stereo volume knob.

The timeframe is even more astonishing when you consider that the J is far more than an Aventador with the roof and windscreen lopped off. Only the front bonnet, front fender, rear fender and headlights remain from Lambo's big V12 coupe: every other panel is new.

A huge winglet-covered diffuser lurks at the front, while the rear diffuser has grown too, and sprouted a quad of evil exhausts (imagine the noise). The Aventador coupe's slatted rear deck is gone, replaced by a pair of sleek humps and a delicate carbon-fibre crossbrace over the engine. And just look at that ‘periscope' rear-view mirror.

Six weeks. And don't forget this is no concept: the J is road-legal, homologated in Italy (we're not sure how the single-car homologation procedure works in Italy, but we'd imagine it goes something along the lines of, "Yeah, it's a massive red Lamborghini with no roof. Any problems? No? Great...").

Even before its Geneva unveiling, the one-off J had already been sold, to an anonymous but presumably not-very-poor Lamborghini enthusiast.

"Mr Winkelmann knows our best customers personally," says Perini. "One of the first ones we presented the project to was interested. In a minute he had sent the money."

Well, what self-respecting businessman doesn't have £1.75m (plus taxes) sitting idly in his current account? And has our supercar value scale got a bit skewed recently, or does that not sound like such a ridiculous price for Lamborghini's most extreme one-off since 1970's Jota?

The common ‘J' is no coincidence. Though Lamborghini claims the Aventador J's suffix refers to the FIA's ‘Appendix J' regulations, the rulebook governing technical specifications of sports cars and their homologation requirements, this is a lie. It's short for Jota, the Miura-based racer that remains, even today, Lambo's most extreme, iconic creation.

"I have always wanted to do something with the ‘Jota' name," Perini says. "Inspiration comes from the past, and the Jota is the true heritage of our company."

A worthy successor? A snip at one-point-seven-five-million-plus-taxes? Or simply the most depraved piece of automotive smut this decade? For the full story behind the Aventador J - and a photoshoot we guarantee will make you feel a bit funny-in-a-good-way - make sure you pick up the April issue of Top Gear magazine, on sale 29 March...

New Honda Pilot ..............$28,470 - $40,820

The 2012 Honda Pilot is a competent offering in the crossover segment, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. So for 2012, Honda has made some minor changes to the Pilot both inside and out. The Pilot also now delivers the highest EPA fuel economy available in a three-row, eight-passenger vehicle. Front-wheel-drive Pilots achieve 25 mpg on the highway, 2 mpg more than the previous model thanks mainly to improved aerodynamics and slight updates to the Pilot's 3.5-liter V-6 and five-speed automatic powertrain. The biggest exterior change to the new Pilot is an updated front end that lends it a more luxurious look. All Pilots receive a more refined interior, plus more tech and entertainment goodies. Previously exclusive to the Pilot EX-L with Navigation and above models, the EX now comes standard with audio system upgrades, including a 2 GB CD-Library and Bluetooth audio streaming. For 2012, EX-L models come with Honda's new intelligent Multi-Information Display (i-MID) that includes backup camera display, while EX-L models with navigation receive an upgraded nav system with higher resolution and a 60 GB hard drive complete with XM real-time traffic updates. Cargo capacity is one of the Pilot's strong suits, with plenty of storage options and impressive interior volume. As has been the case since launch, all Pilot trim levels are offered in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive configuration.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2012/honda/pilot/#ixzz1pFYtILjB

Gurkha LAPV ; The Armored Vehicles With Excellent Protection

The Gurkha LAPV is armored vehicles wich has a typical SUV configuration of 4 side doors and a single rear cargo-crew exit door and carries a total crew complement of up to eight persons. Gurkha LAPV is Mounted on the Ford F550 chassis, repair and spare parts are available throughout the worldwide Ford Motor Company. The Gurkha LAPV is armored to the NATO STANAG 4569 level 3 which exceeds the CEN European B7 armor level provides excellent protection. The estimated price for Gurkha LAPV is around $489.000.

With its hollow cavity walls filled with blast protective materials, the side armor, the Gurkha LAPV provides excellent protection against side load IEDs. In addition to its frontal armor, the firewall is a second armored wall that further protects the driver and front passenger from a frontal attack. The floor is protected from blast and even with this advance armored protection, the payload after armoring is still in excess of 2,041kg (4,500lbs).

JAGUAR LAUNCHES XJ SENTINEL ; "THE ULTIMATE ARMOURED LUXURY SPORTS SALOON"

“The XJ Sentinel was designed and developed in partnership with industry leaders, and incorporates the very latest armoured vehicle systems to deliver extremely impressive levels of protection, while maintaining a very discreet appearance,” said Mike O’Driscoll, Managing Director, Jaguar Cars.

“The XJ Sentinel is the ultimate armoured luxury limousine. It offers governments, security organisations and private individuals, the highest level of security, with advanced design, refined performance and a beautifully-crafted cabin. The XJ Sentinel will be the vehicle of choice for the most discerning," he added.

COMPREHENSIVE ARMOURING SYSTEM

The XJ Sentinel is equipped with a purpose-built armouring system which has been specially developed to ensure that the vehicle offers outstanding occupant protection, while being almost impossible to detect from outside the car.

Constructed from specialised high strength steels with Kevlar backing, the armoured inner cell was engineered in partnership with Centigon, a leading global specialist in vehicle armouring.  The XJ Sentinel offers ballistic protection up to B7 level (BS EN 1522 level FB7 and BS EN 1063 BR7-), blast protection against 15kg TNT equivalent detonated within close proximity of the vehicle, and substantial under floor grenade protection.

To ensure that the armouring meets the latest national and international standards, the protection offered was certified by QinetiQ, a globally recognised independent blast and ballistic testing organisation.

ENGINEERED WITHOUT COMPRIMISE

Just like the other models in the highly-acclaimed XJ range, the Sentinel has been engineered without compromise to deliver sophisticated performance, peerless vehicle dynamics and reassuring levels of active and passive safety.

The Sentinel is based on the long wheelbase XJ saloon powered by the refined and responsive 5.0-litre 385PS AJ-V8 Gen III naturally aspirated direct-injection V8 petrol engine, which is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.

This powerful and sophisticated powertrain ensures that the XJ Sentinel is capable of swift and agile performance, accelerating from 0-100 km/h in 9.7 seconds (0-60mph in 9.4 seconds), and achieving a top speed of 195km/h (121 mph).

The Sentinel’s chassis, which features the advanced Adaptive Dynamics system with continuously variable dampers, has been comprehensively uprated to cope with its increased body weight.  Jaguar’s dynamics specialists have tuned the suspension and steering to ensure that the armoured model offers the same qualities of poise and agility found in the standard XJ.

Impressive stopping power is provided by a new high performance braking system which has been sourced from the formidable 510PS Supercharged non-armoured XJ model, while active safety is further improved by the XJ’s full array of advanced traction and stability systems.

To enhance passive safety, the Sentinel retains full functionality of the standard XJ restraint system, including dual-stage driver and front passenger airbags, side thorax airbags and side curtain airbags.

TOTAL LUXURY AND REAL-WORLD USABILITY

The comprehensive occupant protection offered by the XJ Sentinel has not been achieved at the expense of comfort or practicality.  Jaguar engineers have ensured that the armoured model retains the supreme luxury and real-world usability which are core features of the standard car.

The design of the armoured inner cell has been optimised to maintain the extremely spacious interior package of the long wheelbase XJ, which provides rear seat passengers with a full metre of legroom.

With its elegant and contemporary style, the cabin surrounds occupants with beautifully-crafted leather and veneer surfaces, creating a supremely relaxing, comfortable and luxurious environment.

A generous 500kg payload – maximised by the XJ’s lightweight aluminium body structure – means that the Sentinel is comfortably able to accommodate four occupants along with their luggage and additional security equipment.

This day-to-day practicality provides government organisations, security forces, businesses or high net worth individuals with a discreet yet highly desirable form of armoured transportation.

COMPLETE SUPPORT PACKAGE

XJ Sentinel customers benefit from a comprehensive support programme, both before and after purchase.

A dedicated security consultant works closely with the customer during the sales process, to ensure their full requirements are met.  A wide range of specialised optional security and vehicle features are available and can be tailored to meet individual requirements.

Once the vehicle is in service, the customer has access to a full support package including driver training and on-site servicing from dedicated specialists when required.

The XJ Sentinel has been carefully developed to allow regular servicing and repair to be carried out at Jaguar dealers, using standard diagnostic equipment, and is covered by a full three-year 50,000 mile factory warranty.